How speeding tickets affect your insurance coverage

On behalf of Hopkins Law Firm, LLC posted in blog on Wednesday, June 21, 2017.

Speeding tickets might seem minor to you, especially if you only get one every decade or so. However, if you begin to collect them quickly, they can add up to heavy fines and result in other penalties.

One of the main things that is affected by a speeding ticket is your car insurance. With over 33,000 traffic stops each day, there's a chance that you could be the one suffering from an increase in your car insurance bill.

How is an auto insurance premium calculated?

Your auto insurance premium is based on a number of factors. Speeding is a traffic citation that has the potential to affect the cost. Every company is different, but you can usually see how much a ticket will increase your rates in your original paperwork. If you speed, you'll be in a high-risk group automatically, and that means you could end up being charged significantly more than someone who does not have a citation.

Do multiple citations affect your costs?

If you get multiple violations, you can likely say goodbye to cost-reduction benefits for your insurance plan. A poor driving record can mean that the company no longer reduces your rates, even if you have more driving experience.

What happens if your citations are out of control or particularly severe?

It is possible that your insurance company will chose not to cover you any longer. In that case, you may struggle to find auto insurance, because you're an extremely high-risk driver. Your only option at that point may be a state-run risk plan, which has the potential to be extremely expensive.

Reducing your premium is as easy as staying under the speed limit. If you are stopped for a violation, you also have the right to go to court to dispute it. It's possible that the citation could be dismissed, so it never goes on your record. Your attorney can help you fight unfair tickets, so you can protect your right to insurance coverage.

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